Seamed metal container with plastic cover for the seam and plastic pouring spout



June 17, 1958 E. E. SCHESWOHL 2,839,229

SEAMED METAL CONTAINER WITH PLASTIC COVER FOR THE SEAM AND PLASTICPOURING SPOUT Filed June 14, 1955 I9 22 29 I7 I! U r l M 1: 20 I8 s i 23I i E 23 I 114; 1 i FIO I INVENTOR EDWARD ESCHESWOHL ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent SEAMED METAL CONTAINER WITH PLASTIC COVER FOR THE SEAM ANDPLASTIC POUR- ING SPOUT 1 Edward E. Scheswohl, Philadelphia, Pa.,assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of New York Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,276

8 Claims. (Cl. 222-567) This invention relates to a low pressure metalcontainer of one quart or less capacity with a reusable pouring spoutthat is an improvement over the types now available to the trade. Thecontainer of this invention is particularly useful for storing anddispensing liquid detergents and other liquids and dry powders.

The metal containers of one quart or less capacity with a pouring spout,now available to the trade for low pressure liquid and dry powderstoring and dispensing,

consist of conventional side seam cans with tops and pouring spouts ofeither the type in which 1) a metal domed or cone top end of paint orlacquer coated and lithographed tin coated sheet steel with aclinched-on, drawn aluminum pouring spout in the center, which has anopening of approximately /2 inch diameter for filling and pouringthrough, projects approximately inch above the domed or cone end and isprovided with a rolled or beaded thread to accommodate a plastic screwcap closure which may be used as a measuring cup, or (2) a domed or conetop end of drawn sheet aluminum with a pouring spout in the centerprojecting approximately inch above the domed or cone top with anopening approximately inch in diameter for filling and pouring through,the whole top end, including the spout, being in one piece and theprojecting pouring spout being provided with a rolled or beaded threadto accommodate a plastic screw cap closure which may be used as ameasuring cup.

The aluminum used for the top can end and/ or pouring spout may have adetrimental effect on the contents of the container, the cost and timerequired for tooling up for the all-aluminum end and pouring spout, orthe all-aluminum clinched-on pouring spout is considered excessive, andthe cost per can with the existing types of pouring spouts, mentionedabove, is considered excessive relative to the cost of the product.

The pouring spout piece is made of polyethylene molded plastic or othersuitable plastic, and the screw cap is made of polystyrene moldedplastic or other suitable material, i. e., the pouring spout is made ofmolded plastic rather than of drawn aluminum or other sheet metals; theoverall top is reusable, and a conventional can may be used without aspecial top. The pouring spout being of polyethylene, which is an inertmaterial, will not have a detrimental effect on the contents of thecontainer, while the cost of tooling up for producing a plastic pouringspout piece of this type will be considerably less than for tooling upfor various types of sheet metal pouring spouts. Moreover, it isbelieved the cost per container of this type will, in many instances, beconsiderably less than one with a sheet metal pouring spout.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top view of the plastic cover or closure with an integralpouring spout;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the closure and pouring spout upona container such as a metal can; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1 --sealing or rescalingposition, as shown in Figure 3.

, 2,839,229 Patented June 17, 1958 The sealed can is sold with itscontents and with or without the plastic closure 13 in detachablyconnected In any case, the end 11 is severed as at 14 by a usual canopener sothat the contents can be poured from the resultant opening 15located eccentrically adjacent the periphery of the end 11.

To reseal the can so opened, the cover 13 is applied or again applied,as shown in Figure 3. This circular closure or cap of polyethylene orother suitable plastic is provided with a body portion 16 having adepending peripheral integral skirt 17 terminating in a rounded bead 18.Between said body 16 and said skirt interiorly of the closure is acircular groove 19, the inner wall 20 of which is straight, as shown at21, and the outer, opposite wall 22 of which is also straight, but onlyfor a portion of its length, this wall 22 terminating in or merging intothe inner, rounded surface 23 of the bead 18. Thus, when the seam 12 isinserted or forced into the groove not only is a tight, resilient,frictional scaling fit provided between the recess or groove 19 of thecap 13 and the circular seam 12 of the closure, but the curved wall 23of the bead forms a locking means for retaining this seal, i. e., theseam locked in the groove 19, whereby the closure 13 is held againstturning and the closure must be pried oil to remove the same from thecan, as by prying on the skirt 17 beneath the bead 18. This cover 13 maybe thus used many times over to seal containers having an enlargementsuch as the seam 12 or other projection which can be fitted to and heldsealed Within the groove 19 in accordance with this invention.

The closure ..3 has an eccentri-cally disposed, upstanding, cylindrical,integral, hollow pouring spout or neck 24 adapted to register with theeccentrically-arranged opening 15 in the end 11 to allow free pouring ofthe contents. This neck has an external cap-receiving finish here forpurposes of illustration having the form of a continuous, spiral thread25 to receive the plastic internally threaded closure or cap 26. The cap26 may have diametrically intersecting grooves 27 to receive a tool forassisting in turning the cap on the neck 24. By reason of the tightconnection between the cover 13 and the can 10, this cap 25 can betightly secured and thereafter removed Without causing relative rotationof the cover 13 and can it or disturbing the sealing connection betweenthe cover 13 and the seam 12.

The cover 13, it will be noted in Figure 1, has upstanding, chordal,integral reinforcing ribs extending from the pouring spout to theperiphery of the cover, as shown at 23.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the depending severed metal14 forms a handle directing the contents through the opening 15 incommunication with the enlarged portion 29 at the lower end of thepouring opening in the neck 24.

The container 10 and cover 13 may be of any desired size or shape, thepreferred construction including a metal end 11, a plastic cover 13 anda plastic cap 25. The cap-receiving finish may take various forms toreceive any type of cap, such as :1 lug cap, a crown, or a pressed-oncap.

It is advantageous to use polyethylene for the cover 13 because of itsrelative inertness and to provide a plastic pouring spout which issealed to the metal end against leakage and in a manner to aifordresistance to turning when the screw cap'26 is put on or taken off. Theopening 15 in the can end can be made by a usual beer can opener or .bycutting out the entire top or end with a.

conventional rotary-type can opener. j

The plastic cover pouring spout will be merchandised as a separate itemand reused by the consumer as stated above, thus reducing container costto a minimum.

Referring to Figure 3, the flat undersurface of the cover.13,engages thefiat, opposed, upper surface of the end to further assure themaintenance ofa seal as shown at 30, regardless of the size of theopening 15 cut in the end 11.

I claim;

l. A container having a body and a metal end secured thereto by anupstanding seam, said metal end having a substantially flat uppersurface provided with an opening therein, and a cover of plasticmaterial having a groove for .frictionally form-fittingly, resilientlyreceiving said seam to form a sealing fit therewith, said cover havingan upstanding pouring spout communicating with an opening in said end,said cover having a portion presenting a substantially fiat surface forengaging the flat surface of the upper end of said metal end insubstantially surrounding relation to said opening to provide a sealtherefor.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pouring spout iseccentrically located in said cover.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the cover is provided with askirt defining a wall of said groove for receiving said seam.

, 4. A container according to claim 3 wherein said groove is providedwith locking means on said skirt wall for retaining said seam in saidgroove, said locking means V p 4 comprising a bead having an innerrounded surface extending inwardly from the lower end of said skirt.

5. A container according to claim 2 wherein the cover is provided withupstanding, chordal, reinforcing ribs extending from the wall of saidspout.

6. A' plastic cover for containers which have an en-' larged, circularprojection at one end, said cover having a circular groove with an innervertical wall and an outer vertical wall to resiliently, frictionallyreceive said projection in sealing relation, the inner vertical wall ofthe groove being shorter than the outer vertical wall and the latterhavinglocking means adapted to lock said projection in said groove, saidcover having an upstanding hollow pouring spout, the'lower' surface ofsaid cover extending from said inner vertical wall of the groove to thepouring spout in substantially a single flat plane.

7. A cover according to claim 6 wherein said pouring spout issubstantially vertical and, eccentrically-arranged.

8. A coveraccording to claim 7' wherein the cover is provided with adepending, peripheral skirt forming the, longer wall of said groove andcarrying said locking means, said locking means comprises a bead havingan inner rounded surface extending inwardly from said peripheral skirt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS310,051 Harket et al. -2 Dec. 30, 1884 2,008,564 Schumacher July 16,1935 2,573,378 Zurlinden Oct. 30, 1951 2,612,765 Goreye Oct. 7, 1952.2,722,347 Henke Nov. 1, 1955 i FOREIGN PATENTS 1,032,327 France Mar. 25,1953

